I Was Preparing for My Biggest Role

I Was Preparing for My Biggest Role

Article excerpt

When Sue and John Brierley adopted their first son, Saroo, from an orphanage in Kolkota, India, they couldn't wait for him to grow up and tell them his story. Thirty years on, Saroo's adoptive parents aren't the only ones who know about his incredible tale. The Oscar contender "Lion," based on the book "A Long Way Home" recounts Saroo's story in painstaking detail, "warts and all." Sue Brierley talks about reliving events from her life through the prism of an Oscar-winning actress' performance.

How did you feel when you heard Nicole Kidman would play you in the film?

Right from the getgo when the film was mooted, we joked around the family table saying, "Who's going to play you?," and I always wanted Nicole and the family laughed about that. But in actual fact, we couldn't be happier about all of the cast. She really connected with me very deeply, and I think that enabled her to play the role so accurately.

Is it strange watching her relive your experiences up on screen?

I was actually very comfortable with her doing it - she's a wonderful person and a special spirit. I don't know how it would have been if the part had been allocated to an actor that maybe I didn't connect with. …